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Assabile

عِمْرَان

Imran: meaning of the name

Boy Hebrew origin ʿImrān

CompanionIn the QuranSurah name

Name of the father of Maryam; Surah 3 is called “The Family of ʿImran”

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The word as it is recited in the Quran: Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary, Ali ’Imran 3:33.

Imran in Islam

The Quran names ʿImran three times: Allah chose “the family of ʿImran” above the worlds (3:33), the wife of ʿImran vowed to Him the child she was carrying (3:35), and Maryam is “the daughter of ʿImran” (66:12); Surah 3, Al ʿImran, bears his name. The Companion ʿImran ibn Husayn reported from the Prophet ﷺ: “Pray standing; if you cannot, then sitting; and if you cannot, then on your side” (al-Bukhari 1117).

Meaning of the name Imran

ʿImran corresponds to the Hebrew ʿAmram, the name of the father of Moses and Aaron in the Bible. In Arabic it is linked to the root ʿ-m-r of life (ʿumr) and of the prosperity of an inhabited place (ʿumran), like ʿUmar, ʿAmr and ʿAmir; Arabs bore it even before Islam. The name is very widespread in South Asia (Imran) and in the Arab world.

In Arabic
عِمْرَان عمران
Transliteration
ʿImrān
Root
ع م ر · 24 occurrences in the Quran
Gender
Boy
Origin
Hebrew

Is Imran in the Quran?

Yes: Imran is named in the Quran 3 times, in 2 surahs.

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰٓ ءَادَمَ وَنُوحًا وَءَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَءَالَ عِمْرَٰنَ عَلَى ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ ۝٣٣

Indeed, Allāh chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of ʿImrān over the worlds -

Surah Ali ’Imran, Verse 33

إِذْ قَالَتِ ٱمْرَأَتُ عِمْرَٰنَ رَبِّ إِنِّى نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِى بَطْنِى مُحَرَّرًا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّىٓ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ۝٣٥

[Mention, O Muḥammad], when the wife of ʿImrān said, "My Lord, indeed I have pledged to You what is in my womb, consecrated [for Your service], so accept this from me. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing."

Surah Ali ’Imran, Verse 35

وَمَرْيَمَ ٱبْنَتَ عِمْرَٰنَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِنَا وَصَدَّقَتْ بِكَلِمَٰتِ رَبِّهَا وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَكَانَتْ مِنَ ٱلْقَٰنِتِينَ ۝١٢

And [the example of] Mary, the daughter of ʿImrān, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into [her garment] through Our angel [i.e., Gabriel], and she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient.

Surah At-Tahrim, Verse 12

All the words of the root ع م ر in the Quran (24 occurrences)

In the hadiths

Is this name permissible?

No text or scholarly opinion concerns the name Imran in particular: the general rules of Islam apply.

Read the rules for choosing a name

This page is an aid to reflection, not a fatwa. For a personal case, ask a person of knowledge.

Writing Imran in each language

French
Imran, Imrane
English
Imran, Emran
Spanish
Imrán, Imran
Turkish
İmran
Arabic
عِمْرَان

Similar names

Same root (ع م ر)

See also

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